The Mummies started very strong and basically controlled the whole game.  They were 3 goals up within about 10 minutes and the Foxes were just never able to recover.

 They played really well for the whole game and were a much better team on the night than us.  They had an excellent understanding of each other, were too quick and moved well on and off the ball.  They were all composed on the ball and really good passers.  They were able to break away far too quickly and easily, especially in the first half.

The Foxes marking was not up to scratch right from the beginning.  We followed the ball to start with instead of the player which allowed them too much space to run into. 

In the second half, we decided to sit deep and let them come to us instead of running every where for the ball.  However within a few minutes we knew that this wasn’t working and reverted back to our usual game. 

 We did create some space and had some shots on goal.  However, many of these were from a distance and were easily saved.  Myra had a cracker of a shot in the second half but we were not able to capitalise.

All in all, this was a pretty abysmal performance.  This was not due to lack of effort but we were just overrun.  If we meet them in the cup our marking will have to improve and we will have to get a grip on the Mummies early in the game.

Score: 3-8

Scorers: Vicki 2, Myra 1

This team showed a lot of courage and did everything to win.  We were mentally strong and well up for this game and very determined to win right from the first whistle.  We played at a good, high tempo throughout.

Foxes took the early lead with an excellent free kick that was taken quickly by Vicki to Celine who had a clear shot at goal and took it expertly.

The league leaders enjoyed plenty of possession, but struggled to create too many clear-cut chances.   For a team that this season has scored over 100 goals they were unable to broker too many genuine chances.

The only black spot was the one poor throw out in the first half which saw Mercer quickly intercept, capitalise on it and able to score a good goal to even the game out.

We continued to probe away in our usual manner with good runs and excellent passing and half-chances came but we were well marked and unable to get any real shots off.  However, Foxes spirits were high because of their performance in the match and halfway through the second half they took the lead again from a great shot by Vicki.

Kalee made some crucial saves in the game to keep Foxes in it.  Her legs and stinging fingers show this to be true.  Tip of the day, don’t save a ball with your girlie parts, it hurts! 

Although Mercer didn’t have too many shots at goal, what they did shoot had a lot of power and pace on them and hurt when you got in the way, which most Foxes will contest to.  However the Foxes did a sterling job in blocking a lot of passes and shots.  The marking of the  Mercer players prevented them having a major impact on the game.

The subbing worked well and caused little disruption to the Foxes momentum.  However, it did allow us to change it around a bit so it put Mercer on the back foot a little. 

We seem to have somewhat of a curse when we play against Mercer, this time being an injury to Celine.  With quite a physical game, Celine went down heavy and had to go off for a good half of the second half.  Luckily, we did have another player that could come straight back on

Pirate and Vicki played really well up front.  They made a lot of space for themselves and the quick passing and movement was excellent.  Pirate tracked back brilliantly in the second half when we needed to hold onto the lead.

Myra had a really good game.  She made some excellent blocks and really put her body in between the ball and the goal.  The slight down side to her playing a more defensive role is that we do miss her shooting, however tonight, in this role, she played an important part in keeping the lead. 

Tre did a great job, mostly on the left wing and found herself in a few personal battles with a couple of Mercer players.  She did tend to get the better of them most of the time by being strong on and off the ball.  She also had a good couple of shots on goal as she made great runs up front and found some space.

This was an excellent team performance from the Foxes, however the narrow lead still leaves the semi-final in the balance ahead of the return game.

Score: 2-1

Scorers: Celine 1, Vicki 1

Anyway, we still put out a solid team to keep the pressure up and possibly steal top spot. 

Kalee started in the net.  She had some good saves and the throw outs were good.  The Magpies were very tight on the Foxes which made the throws difficult but with Celine dropping back there was always a player available.  The Magpies caught onto this so we needed to get a bit more space in the second half. 

Celine and Tre were solid in the back.  Celine stayed on their best player and so was often all over the pitch as she covered the player.  Tre was the last player and stayed on the task with good runs going up front as well.

Vicki and Jenny started up front together and had some great runs and made themselves available for the through ball.

There were a lot of shots at the goal but the keeper had some good saves.  Early on in the first half a penalty was given to the Foxes for the opposition going into their area.  No one was really all that aware that this had happened but Vicki took a great penalty and slotted it low into the bottom right corner to put us ahead.

The Magpies were able to get an equaliser in the first half so in the break we assessed what we could do to win the game.  As always, our passing was very good and we were getting some good positions and some good shots away so we decided to stay with the formation that we had.

Johno came to cheer us on and give us some moral support and some help in the break but he felt that we just needed to keep doing what we were doing and it would come.

The Magpies were surprisingly well organised and strong throughout the game.  They were quite tough on the boards but there was only really one or two that would shoot.

In the second half, the goalie duties were switched around.  The defence was kept as it was in the view to change the front players only.

Jenny and Kalee played well together up front and the passing and awareness of them was great.  Celine was pushing forward to try and help get the winning goal.  She made an excellent pass to Kalee who was able to control the ball and create a bit of space to finish with a good goal. 

With Tre holding really well in the back, and the Magpies falling back more, Celine came forward and gave the Foxes a great third goal to make sure that we took all three points.

Score: 3-1

Scorers: Celine 1, Kalee 1, Vicki 1

We started really well, in fact we played really well during the whole match.  Our passing and movement was excellent.  Everyone covered each other.  We were all aware of the spaces to run into and the movement on and off the ball.  The pressure was really good and most of the time a Fox was to the ball first.  We started being able to read the runs of the Environment Agency and often intersected the throw outs from the goal before they got to a player.

There was a lot of shots on target and we hit the cross bar and side bars several times.  Environment Agency’s goal keeper is probably one of the best in the league and so she made some great saves to keep her team in the game. 

There was some great shots in the first half.  Vicki showed great awareness of the players when she crossed from the corner to find Tre who slotted in an excellent long range shot to take us 3-1 into the half break.

The Agency came on us in the second half and were taking more shots on goal.  There were able to capitalise on a few errors and we found ourselves 3-4 down in the game with only a few minutes left.  We were gutted as we should never have been in that position.  However, credit to the whole team, we kept fighting and never took the pressure off.  This was rewarded with a great goal from Myra to at least secure us a draw.

On the plus side, Myra has a date with the ref the next time that she goes to see Manu play at home J

Score: 4-4

Scorers: Myra 2, Tre, Vicki

Celine started in the net with Myra and Pirate linking up well in the front.  The mighty duo of dumb and dumber were together again covering the back.  Foxes start off very strong and have a lot of shots on goal.  Myra particularly has a lot of shots but the Irish goalkeeper makes some great saves.

Pirate was all over the pitch and had some good runs and passes well to the linking Foxes.

Having not played for a couple of weeks and then managing to kick the ground and fall over whilst warming up, Kalee is tentative at the start but soon gets into the game.  She has a few shots at the goal but again these are saved.

The first goal comes from a penalty when an Irish player went into their own goal area.  Tre and the ref seemed to be the only two that were aware of this and so everyone else was a little perplexed as to why we got a penalty.  Still, Myra stepped up to take it, strangely got crowded out at the line but slotted it into the bottom corner with ease.

Next in goal is Pirate and with Celine up front with Myra they were causing the Irish problems.  Celine was able to score a great goal in the first half.

There were claims of hand ball against Kalee but in defence their player dived below me and I was merely protected myself rather than trying to take advantage.  

The second half was much of the same.  Kalee started in the net and Myra and Pirate were back up front.  Pirate scored a great goal to put us into a great position.  Celine had a goal disallowed because of being in the area.

The Irish were able to get a goal in the second half to make it a little more edgy for the Foxes.  Although they don’t have many shots they are still quite a tough team to mark and take control of.  They put up a good fight but the game goes to the Foxes in the end.  

It was a good ref that we had tonight.  He was very encouraging and fair and let the game go on well.

Score: 3-1

Scorers: Myra, Celine, Pirate

This unfortunate bout of food poisoning meant that we had to play the most important game of the season, against top of the league Mercer, with only four players (Myra, Céline, Tré and Pirate). We decided that we’d stick one player on their most dangerous striker, defend like demons and try and get a couple of goals on the break, and this is pretty much what we did. It was a curiously satisfying and uplifting game: the hard work, top-class solidarity and total commitment paid off and we only lost 4-1 against our main rivals, who had demolished a full team of five players 16-0 the previous week. Having given everything we had and played fantastically as a team, we all felt very proud and the atmosphere was buoyant in the changing rooms, particularly as after the game, the Mercer girls were heard saying “That is the fucking toughest four-man team you’re ever likely to play”. Well done us!

Goal: Celine

We had six players this evening so we had a rolling sub for the first time.  There are advantages of this in being able to switch players around and change the way we play, however the disadvantage is that the player that comes on is switched off for a while and needs to get back into the game quite quickly.

Linda played in the goal for the first half.  The second half goal keeping duties were shared out between Pirate, Kalee and Myra.

We started off strong and took the game to the opposition.  We looked on course to stretch our advantage that we had coming into the game.  However it was the Environment Agency that took the early goal.  This was a very weak goal to concede especially early on.  We need to make sure that the keeper is aware of the game when we make any pass backs to her.

However, we quickly put this goal behind us and once we found our feet we were the brighter and more creative side.  Again, we had lots of shots on goal and the link up play between the back line and the front players was very good.  The passing within the whole team is excellent at the moment.  We are making some great runs and putting in the pass to take advantage of these breaks.  Celine and Myra were able to both score in the first half with Celine netting two.  Vicki held the ball up in the middle and laid the ball off well to Myra.

Defensively we were solid in the back again.  We tended to stick to set players but there was always cover from another Fox when someone went forward or took a different player.  Kalee and Celine played well together and covered each other throughout the game.

Any time that the Environment Agency had a free kick, Myra would float and flutter away like a butterfly leaving Kalee and Celine to stand on the ball.  We both have the bruises to prove solidarity.  It was also good to see a roly poly back in the game J

Environment Agency were able to get a second goal in the first half so it finished at 3-2 at the break.  As it was still quite a tight game and the goal difference wasn’t huge, it was decided to keep Celine out in open play instead of her going into the goal.  However the other three did really well in the net although didn’t really have to save much.  Pirate was probably the only one that had a shot to save.  However, the throw outs in the second half were really good.  The vision of Kalee to see open players up the pitch was good and she was able to get the ball to them, especially Vicki, quickly.

Vicki had a goal disallowed for being in the area but kept shooting at every possible opportunity and was rewarded with a goal mid way through the second half. 

The rest of the game was steady and we closed out the game to cruise into the semi finals.

Score on the night:         4-2

Aggregate:                    9-4

Scorers:                        Celine 2, Myra 1, Vicki 1

It was decided to put out a strong, attacking team and really go at West Leeds Ladies.  Due to this, the goalkeeping duties were shared amongst the team so that they four left out were able to rotate within the game and all had shooting ability.  We all did well in goals and get the Foxes easily in the game.  The Ladies unfortunately were able to get a quick shot off early in the game and did open up the scoring.  However, the Foxes kept their heads up and responded well and were soon back in the game.

With West Leeds ladies again only really having one player that could cause any problems, the Foxes tactic was to have one player on her throughout the game and close her out.  Pirate took this on initially and then Celine took over.  Between the two of them, they kept her at bay and anytime that she was able to break from them there was another Fox to take up the defence so that she never really had much change to shoot or take control.  She only really has one move so once you get the measure of that, she is easy enough to contain.  This worked really well and she soon got frustrated.  The only other player that concerned the Foxes was number 19 who was strong on the ball and had a good passing game.  However, the Foxes never let any of them much time on the ball so they never really got many shots away.

BFA had some excellent shots on target throughout the game.  She managed to hit nearly every part of the posts and cross bar but still netted a good couple of goals.  Although, I think this should have been three, as a goal that was disallowed should not have been as she was outside of the area when she hit the ball. 

Ribbit was back on form now that she is feeling better.  She was shooting from all different angles and defended really well.  Linking up with Vicki and Myra was good and her passing was excellent.  She managed to net 3 goals and got in a few good, hard tackles.

Pirate was again good in the back, she just needs to watch the back heel passes that caused a couple of problems but other than that was solid.  She again had some good runs up front and played well linking up with other Foxes.  Late on, she got a hard knock on the knee which took her down.  The ref tried to distract her from the pain and starting talking about her “shiny boots”, bless!  She finished the game in goals but seems to be ok.

Vicki was back in the team to give us an attacking option.  She held the ball up well and linked well with the other Foxes and made a nuisance of herself in front of the goal.  Her practice demo in the changing rooms paid off when she did lots of little steps and blasted the ball into the net.

Brains had another mediocre game, although having been ill in bed all day, she did well to play in the game!  She played well at the back but was a bit lost up front early on in the second half.  She had a couple of shots at goal but nothing significant.  She did clear a lot of goals and her passing was good.  She was a little more physical in this game and put a couple of the opposition into the wall. 

The tactics really worked for this game and the Foxes gelled well again after our “blip” last week.

Comment of the night from Vicki after Celine and Kalee got clobbered by a ball after blocking it – “We can do this all night” hhhhmmmm!!!

With Charlotte not there tonight, Linda was able to be the super supporter and shouted encouragement throughout the game.  Watch out Charlotte, you may have competition on the sidelines J

Score 5- 2

Scorer Celine 2, Myra 2, Vicki 1

Celine managed to hit a good shot and scrap another from a rebound but apart from that we were closed down very quickly and never given much time at all on the ball.

The Mummies were able to switch players from the back and the front line which didn’t help the Foxes tonight.  We were following the ball and switching around which often left one or two players unmarked. 

Unfortunately to add to our glum, the Mercer were able to put in a very good performance with a good goal difference as well, not only knocking us back off the top but also holding a game in hand.

Score 2- 5

Scorer Celine 2